Australia Travel : Cairns

Posted on Tuesday, August 09, 2011

No vacation to Australia is complete with out a trip to Cairns.  Built on Trinity Inlet, the Coral Sea calls from the east whilst the rainforest-clad Atherton Tableland serenades from the west, making Cairns an enchanting nature lovers Nirvana.  To reach the Atherton Tableland you can drive, but to truly appreciate the changing landscape from waving cane fields to walls of rainforest, you should travel the scenic railway to the mountain town of Kuranda.  Famed for its vibrant markets and stunning views, Kuranda is a charming hideaway and a good place to mingle with the locals selling regional arts and crafts. 

Make your way down the mountain by gliding above the rainforest canopy on the Skyrail gondola.  Adjacent to the Skyrail station at the valley floor is Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.  Here, visitors are treated to a taste of Aboriginal culture with origin tales of the Dreaming, festive, native dances, and instruction on how to throw a boomerang and spear. 

Head to the heart of the city, the Esplanade, and enjoy a café latte before catching a catamaran to Cairns’ underwater rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef.  The only living organism visible from space, the Great Barrier Reef is 1,240 miles of memories that will last a lifetime.  Snorkel with sea turtles, dive the rich waters off Green Island or birdwatch on Michelmas Cay.  No fancy photograph or travel documentary will prepare you for the perpetual paradise that awaits you at the spectacular Great Barrier Reef.